Vasundhara man demands over Rs 5 lakh from Ghaziabad civic body after ‘waterlogging damages’ his Mercedes GLA 200d

Demanding the full cost of repair, besides Rs 5 lakh towards mental agony and harassment, the complainant, Amit Kishore, a resident of Vasundhra’s Sector 11, alleged that the waterlogging was the result of “blocked drainage systems, uncleaned nullahs, and unchecked illegal encroachments”, all of which fall under the municipal body’s purview.

According to the legal notice dated July 26, when Kishore was driving from Lajpat Nagar to Vasundhara on July 23, his “Mercedes GLA 200 D was severely damaged after being submerged in logged water caused by the municipal authority’s inaction and mismanagement”.

The notice, issued through Kishore’s lawyer Prem Prakash, added, “The water logging was so extensive that vehicular movement became impossible and my client’s car remained stranded, leading to mechanical and electrical damages.” It further stated that despite multiple complaints made by Kishore and other residents, no effective steps have been taken so far to address the drainage issues in the locality.

Kishore, through his legal counsel, claimed that continuous efforts were made for several hours to start the vehicle but, eventually, a crane had to be arranged after which the car was towed to the Mercedes Service Centre in Noida for repairs.

The legal notice also accused the Ghaziabad civic body of allowing illegal encroachments to flourish in the area, especially on public drains and open land meant for water runoff. Despite the direction by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to remove the encroachments on the drain, no action has been taken, the notice said.

“There is explicit and credible information that your office has deliberately failed to act against illegal encroachments that obstruct drain outlets, and in some instances, municipal officials have even facilitated or protected such encroachments, directly violating the law and public trust,” it said.

Responding to the legal notice, the civic officials said Kishore was a serial complainant. “He has tried to tarnish the image of the corporation for personal reasons. The photo of the vehicle shown by Amit Kishore in his complaint, which had a Delhi number, clearly showed that there was no water even on the tyres,” read the official statement issued by the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation.

“It has not been certified by any expert that the vehicle was broken down due to rainwater logging. No other such case has been reported in the city,” the statement said.